TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time, Burger 21®, a new better burger franchise founded by the owners of The Melting Pot® Restaurants, Inc. with five locations open and 10 in development on the East Coast, will bring its hand-crafted burgers to the Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats and hosted by Rachael Ray, at the 12th annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE on Feb. 22, 2013.

Chef Shane Schaibly, corporate chef for Front Burner Brands, restaurant management company for Burger 21, and nearly 40 other culinary chefs from across the country will go head-to-head in the ultimate showdown for the chance to be named the Burger Bash winner. With sponsorship from Heinz®, Burger 21 and Chef Schaibly plan to serve up about 2,000 Tex-Mex sliders and over 200 pounds of sweet potato fries paired with the brand's signature toasted marshmallow sauce to thousands of expected attendees.

"We're thrilled that Heinz has selected us to showcase our unique crafted burger creations at one of South Florida's most prestigious culinary events," said Schaibly. "This is the perfect opportunity for South Florida to experience Burger 21 and I am confident that once local residents have tasted the quality of our hand-crafted sliders, they will be demanding Burger 21 by name."

"As the leader in ketchup, condiments and sauces, Heinz is proud to sponsor Burger 21 at one of the nation's biggest burger events of the year," said Andy Ludlow, brand manager at Heinz. "Their crave-able burger creations offer palette-pleasing flavor combinations and showcase how the use of toppings can create new and exciting taste experiences using classic American favorites."

In Fall 2011, Burger 21 launched an aggressive growth initiative to bring its crafted burger creations and hand-dipped signature shakes to more cities across the country. Since that launch, Burger 21 has signed franchise agreements with six different entities in six states in 2012 to develop a total of 11 restaurants. Most recently, the Tampa, Fla.-based "beyond the better burger" concept opened its first franchised restaurant in Orlando. The brand also signed franchise agreements to develop four restaurants in Washington, D.C. over the next few years, in addition to franchise agreements in Atlanta, Voorhees, N.J., and Charlotte, N.C. A second Orlando location is scheduled to open near the University of Central Florida on Feb. 25.

"The Amstel Light Burger Bash is the ideal venue for us to introduce our 'beyond the better burger' creations to one of our target markets for development," said Dan Stone, vice president of franchise development for Front Burner Brands, management company for Burger 21. "Our concept has seen tremendous growth over the past year and we're confident that our brand will resonate with South Floridians, who really know good burgers when they taste them."

Burger 21 is seeking single and multi-unit operators with restaurant experience in South Florida and throughout the country to join its upscale fast casual dining concept. Franchisee candidates should have a minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid assets of at least $200,000 per unit. Burger 21 will be developed through both single-unit agreements and Area Development Agreements.

Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees can expect the total cost of investment for one restaurant to be approximately $597,995 - $831,995. The initial franchise fee is $40,000; however, reduced franchise fees apply for Area Development Agreements of four or more units.

About Burger 21With five locations open in Tampa Bay and Orlando, Fla., and 10 in development in Orlando, Atlanta, Voorhees, N.J., Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C., Burger 21 is a "beyond the better burger" fast-casual franchise concept founded in 2010. Burger 21 is a chef-inspired brand with offerings including 21 unique burger and slider creations ranging from hand-crafted, freshly ground Certified Angus Beef® to chicken, turkey, shrimp and tuna burgers, made-to-order salads, all-beef hot dogs, hand-breaded chicken tenders and an extensive shake bar including hand-dipped shakes, floats and sundaes. Burger 21 is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.burger21.com.

About Front Burner BrandsFront Burner Brands (formerly known as TGS Restaurant Management) is a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with more than 140 locations in North America and more than 25 locations currently in development, Burger 21 with five locations open in Tampa Bay and Orlando, Fla., and 10 in development in Orlando, Atlanta, Voorhees, N.J., Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C., GrillSmith with six locations in the Tampa Bay area and other new franchise concepts in development. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.